A conclusion involves the story that made mainstream headlines earlier this 12 months, the place Jo Zakrzewski was disqualified from the 2023 Manchester To Liverpool Extremely 50 Mile ultramarathon after using in a automotive for a number of miles of the race.
Zakrzewski will serve a one-year ban from racing occasions sanctioned by UK Athletics, the UK’s governing physique for athletics, in addition to teaching.
File picture of Jo Zakrzewski operating on the 2015 IAU 100k World Championships. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
After its April 2023 disqualification of Zakrzewski, GB Ultras, the group behind the Manchester To Liverpool Extremely 50 Mile, launched an announcement that it was turning the case over to UK Athletics for additional investigation.
On November 10, 2023, UK Athletics launched its ruling and located that Zakrzewski had breached the Code of Conduct for Senior Athletes by failing to “take part inside the guidelines of the game, respect choices of coaches and officers, and display respect in the direction of fellow athletes” in addition to failing to “act ethically, professionally and with integrity, and take duty for her actions.”
Zakrzewski, a Scottish ultrarunner, might be finest recognized for setting a then world document by operating 255.7 miles (411.5 kilometers) in 48 hours in February of 2023. She has additionally been a member of Crew Nice Britain for a number of IAU 100k World Championships in addition to a staff supervisor for the occasion, whereas having been named Scottish Athletics Masters Athlete of the 12 months in 2020.
After the incident in April, Zakrzewski advised “BBC Scotland,” the one information supply we consider Zakrzewski spoke to post-race, that she’d solely flown to the UK from Australia the night time earlier than the Manchester to Liverpool Extremely 50 Mile, which led to the jetlag that she says contributed to her poor resolution to get right into a automotive in the midst of the 50-mile race, get again out, and cross the end line in a aggressive method.
In response to the UK Athletics ruling, Zakrzewski advised the governing physique that damage triggered her to climb right into a buddy’s automotive in the course of the occasion, and when she’d gotten out to inform the marshals that she was injured and was withdrawing from the race, they inspired her to proceed in a non-competitive foundation, which she did.
The UK Athletics ruling states that marshals declare that she by no means advised them that she’d ridden in a automotive for a part of the course, and when given the chance to contest the marshals’ proof, she declined to take action.
Excerpt of U.Ok. Athletics written resolution sanctioning Jo Zakrzewski.
After ending the occasion, explains the UK Athletics ruling, Zakrzewski went on to just accept the trophy for her end and posted concerning the race on social media, by no means mentioning the journey within the automotive. Whereas Zakrzewski claimed that she by no means supposed to cheat, she additionally by no means denied her actions, saying in a letter to UK Athletics that’s quoted within the ruling, “As said, I settle for my actions on the day that I did journey in a automotive after which later accomplished the run, crossing the end line and inappropriately receiving a medal and trophy, which I didn’t return instantly as I ought to have achieved.”
Nonetheless, UK Athletics identified in its ruling that she had per week after the race to rethink her actions and return the trophy and didn’t. And on that foundation, they discovered her in breach of the Code of Conduct for Senior Athletes. Whereas the suspension for the breach would usually be two years, it was lowered to 1 12 months as a consequence of Zakrzewski being “subjected to a trial by social media” and cooperating totally with the investigation. The governing physique additionally cited that she’d “beforehand had a transparent and impeccable document.”
Jo Zakrzewski on her approach to setting a then 48-hour world document on the Taipei Ultramarathon earlier in 2023. Picture: Chinese language Taipei Affiliation of Ultrarunners
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